A Love Supreme
by ringanybells
Summary: Pain is fleeting, but love is eternal. An 'inside the minds' look at the episode, with some extra scenes thrown in. E/P


[A/N: It's not even off the air yet, and I'm already experiencing withdrawl. I put on _A Love Supreme_ and decided to play with the Echo-Paul scenes. Most of the dialogue is from the ep, but some of it is mine. Enjoy. Don't be surprised if I start making up my own Echo-Paul stories post-finale.]

Paul stood on the other side of the glass. He watched as DeWitt's 'doctor' analyzed Echo. He watched as Echo writhed in pain, struggling to deal with the headache but stay in character. He was amazed at her strength, even as his heart twisted at the sight of her. It had been days since they'd returned, each one the same as the last. He was forced to watch from the other side of the glass as his girl sat in agony, hoping that her pain would be put to an end sometime soon.

Paul could not tear his eyes from her face, though physically he was fine, emotionally, his pain rivaled her own. He felt Boyd's solid stance at his back, barely batting an eyelid at Echo's condition, and Adelle to his left, scrutinizing Echo's every move. He wanted to grab the cold hearted British bitch by the throat and force her to leave Echo alone. Her voice reached him as if from far away, so focused was he on Echo. _I wish she'd say something about her absence. Then all this could be over._ Her tone was unaffected, as if she was talking about nothing more important than ordering takeout, rather than condemning Echo to another day of agony. Her tone changed as she advanced toward him, accusatory. _Are you certain she said nothing to you when you found her?_

Her tone pissed him off. _No_, _I told you. She barely spoke at all. She was in really bad shape. _He threw a pointed glance at the window. _She still is. _He didn't try to hide the hostility in his voice. It was already too hard to stop himself from kicking the door in and dragging Echo out of the Dollhouse, he didn't have the strength to rein in his tone as well.

Adelle, however, was unphased by his encroachment into her personal space. There was more to this situation than met the eye, and she wanted answers. Echo had been a source of unrest in her house since before she was an Active, and recently, her uniqueness was only making Adelle question her decision not to send her to the attic ages ago. _Yes, one wonders how she managed; out there, alone. The odds of an Active in an infantile state surviving outside the Dollhouse, unprotected… I suppose we must take into account the fact that Echo is special. _She chose her words carefully, doing her best to get a rise out of the former FBI agent. His own disappearing act from the House made her suspicious, but she was sure he would break soon. Every day of watching Echo in pain caused another crack in his tightly crafted façade.

But Paul would not break, not today anyway. Echo's strength, her ability to hold onto the ruse, gave him the strength to do the same. _You're punishing her for surviving._ _It's complete lunacy._ Even as he played out his role, he cursed himself for bringing Echo back here, for condemning her not only to another round of whoring and being used, but to this nightmare of being trapped in a room alone, in a straight jacket, in pain.

Realizing that Paul was not yet ready to crack, Adelle stood down. _You're wrong, Mr. Ballard. I'm very sorry for Echo's suffering, but we must have answers._ She watched the young woman through the glass, wishing, not for the first time, that she had dealt with the woman as Caroline, and never allowed her to step foot in this House.

Paul was not done just yet. He couldn't let this opportunity pass by again without doing everything in his power to help his charge. _So if she floats, she's a witch?_ Punishment for success, he would never understand the way the world worked sometimes. He threw the words at his boss.

Adelle ignored them. _That will be all for today; thank you, Dr. Ghoslen._ She turned to face both of Echo's handlers, a twinkle in her eye as she repeated the same words she'd uttered every time she'd left them since Echo's return. _We'll pick this up tomorrow. __Until I'm satisfied that Echo wasn't exposed_ _to dangerous elements during her sojourn, these sessions will continue. Will you excuse me, gentleman? _She turned toward where Victor was waiting, _I'll consult with my expert._ A small smile grew on her face at the indignation on Paul's. She knew it was only a matter of time before he told her the truth, whatever it may be.

Paul turned to his predecessor, _Expert on what?_ He wanted answers. He wanted to know what DeWitt wanted so he could give it to her, so he could end Echo's torture. He wasn't sure how much more either of them could stand. _What does she think she's going to get out of Echo? _

Boyd's voice, like his face, was void of emotion. _She doesn't expect to get anything out of Echo._ There were times Boyd wondered why Echo had taken to her new handler as she had; he left so much to be desired. And yet she trusted him, clung to him. He knew it was not just about the Active-handler imprint. Echo's mind was special, it didn't respond the way it was supposed to for any of the other imprints, why should that one be any different. Her reliance and trust in Paul was more than what was expected, he just didn't understand why. _She's using her to make you squirm, and it's working._

Paul only proved his point when he replied. _I can't help it._ He kept turning toward the glass, just to get a glimpse of Echo, to reassure himself. His tone of voice was strained, as if he was battling with everything in him to keep from going to her, which Boyd knew he was. _I don't like seeing her in pain._ Paul didn't care that he was revealing his weakness, he'd do anything for Echo. Ever since he'd first received her picture, even if it was sent to him by a crazed psychopath, he'd been drawn to the woman on the other side of the glass. And it wasn't about Caroline anymore, it was about Echo. He'd seen strength in her that rivaled any other, and he had promised to protect her.

Boyd had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. He stepped forward, the response automatic, _I don't like seeing her in pain. _The relationship that had developed between Paul and Echo got under Boyd's skin; he advanced on the other man as he reminded him that he, Boyd, had been there first. _I looked into her eyes and swore to protect her, same as you, before you. Today, protecting her means not reacting as DeWitt tortures her. So man up._

Paul resisted the urge to hit the other man, but the anger was clear in the set of his jaw. It was easy for him to tell Paul to deal with Echo's pain, she was only a job to Boyd. But Paul loved Echo. He didn't just want to protect her out in the field, on engagements, he wanted to protect her all the time, wrap his arms around her and hold her close for the rest of his life. He turned back to the window, and walked forward, placing his hand on the glass. He couldn't talk to her without alerting DeWitt, but he knew she could tell he was close. As his hand touched the glass, her eyes focused and she looked toward the mirror. Knowing the camera was watching, she kept up the act, but he knew the nod of her head was not from the pain of the headache but so that he would know she felt him.

He only stayed for a moment. Topher had asked to see him and Boyd when today's analysis was done. He reluctantly let his hand fall and followed Boyd up to the programmer's office. When they entered, the monitors were full of what Paul had come to recognize as brain maps and Active vitals. Without asking, he knew they were Echo's. Topher was practically jumping out of his skin as he gestured to all the screens. _These are the craziest scans I've ever seen. I can't even look at them without going nuts. _Both he and Boyd kept straight faces, Echo's life, and certainly her place outside the attic, relied on them protecting her secret. But as Topher accused them of conspiracy and admitted to lying to DeWitt, Paul knew they'd have to let him in on the secret. He let Boyd take the lead. When Topher asked, Boyd answered.

_Echo's not a blank slate._ His words, like earlier, were emotionless, clinical. It was the easiest way to explain things to Topher. Boyd explained what Echo had become. When Topher spoke again, sure he'd gotten the gist of it; it was Paul who set him straight.

_More, she's got everyone Alpha dumped into her, as well._ Saying the words, knowing that this was the cause of Echo's pain, pulled at Paul's heart. Yet he used the same clinical tone that Boyd had.

Topher's mind reeled. _That's everyone._ He spoke out loud as he tried to comprehend what the two men before him were saying. He continued to question, not understanding how this could happen.

_The wipes just push everything down, but it all surfaces again. And now, she can control what and when. _He couldn't help the note of pride that came into his voice as he explained Echo's ability. He shouldn't be proud, it was hurting her. But he couldn't help it, she was no mindless drone, and that made him love her more.

Topher sat, his mind blown by what Echo's anomaly meant. Before he could answer the rest of Topher's questions, Paul's pager went off, a summons to DeWitt's office. Hoping that meant a reprieve for Echo, he excused himself quickly and made his way upstairs.

She was pouring drinks when he entered. Though she greeted him the same as always, Paul was no more relaxed in her comfort zone than he had been downstairs. It didn't matter that she was currently his boss or simply trying to protect the House, she was torturing Echo, and he wanted to hurt her for that.

She tried to play nice, thinking maybe a new tactic might work with him. He ignored her change of approach. _I know that you're looking for something that I don't think you'll find. _Paul was taking every opportunity to try and persuade her to let Echo be.

Adelle responded by brushing off his words, suggesting things weren't what they appeared to be. When she admitted that Echo appeared to be perfectly healthy, Paul, while rejoiced, was still suspicious. _That's good news._

Adelle took in his tone and continued, knowing that her next words would be just as painful for him to hear as those downstairs had been. She smiled at the anticipation. _I'm putting her back in the field._ She was rewarded with a clenching of the jaw, a tightening of the fist. She knew Paul wanted nothing more than to take a swing, she also knew he'd never do it. She injected extra enthusiasm into her voice as she revealed the client.

She was not surprised to hear the handler try to postpone the engagement, arguing Echo's current state of health. Adelle brushed him off, digging the dagger a little deeper. As she finished, she saw the annoyance rise on Paul's face. She stood, letting him know she knew exactly how much he hated this. _I thought you might need this._ She handed him the glass.

She was right, he did. But he was not about to let her win that easily. He needed the booze, but he'd make her hate the toast. _Well, to Echo's health._ The smugness was replaced by just a measure of annoyance as she begrudgingly repeated the toast. Paul kept his eyes on Adelle as he drank, knowing this part didn't matter anymore. He was going to get to see Echo, be alone with her, even if only for a few moments. And the pain would end for her, at least for a little while.

Paul put the glass down slowly and excused himself, taking care to leave the room as if he had all the time in the world. But the minute the door was closed behind him, he took off at a sprint, anxious to get to Echo as soon as possible. He made it into the room just as they removed the straight jacket Adelle had insisted she wear. Relief colored his voice, _Echo… _For a moment, he just breathed in the sight of her. She looked better already. _It's time for your treatment._ A small smile twisted his mouth up, this was the way it was supposed to be, just him and her. He moved to her side and immediately placed his hand on her back, not sure if the contact was to comfort her or reassure himself. Their eyes stayed locked.

He spoke again as they exited the room, feeling a weight lift from both their shoulders. _We never meet like this anymore._ He stayed close to her. He hadn't been aware how close they'd become in Texas until they were back in LA and unable to be near one another.

She looked up at him with a smile. _I missed you, too. _And she had, incredibly. She had spent a lot of her time in confinement kicking herself for not telling him how she felt in Texas. She wished she had had more than a few short kisses to occupy her thoughts when the pain from the headaches had gotten to be too much. Not that it mattered; she planned to rectify that mistake soon.

They didn't speak again as they made their way upstairs to Topher's office. There was no need. His hand on her back was all that was necessary. Both just wanted to get outside again. They walked in in the middle of Topher's rant. She smiled at his words. That was one thing she'd always liked about the programmer, he'd always been able to make her laugh. _I'd like to think both_.

Topher turned around at her voice, as if he hadn't been expecting her. Echo smiled as he babbled, trying to figure out how to talk to an Active who was suddenly more than what she should be. _Nice to meet you, _He extended his hand.

Again, she smirked. _We've met, Topher._ She hoped to put him at ease; it wouldn't do to have the programmer jumping all over the place. _Don't you remember._

Her comment seemed to have the desired effect, kind of. _She's funny._ For a second he was himself, then aside to Boyd, _Is that a good sign?_ Not knowing what else to do, Topher bumbled through the mission, trying to phrase everything without offending her. Her reassurance that she did, in fact, work at the Dollhouse, merited a chuckle and Topher moved forward to pull up the files. Focusing on the job brought Topher back to himself, into a place he understood, even if it wasn't exactly as it should be.

They were back to back, so Topher didn't see it, neither did Boyd. But Paul did, not that it was anything new. He'd seen her shift through personalities dozens of times. It still amazed him though. The woman in front of him was a marvel, and he was proud of her. He watched as Echo became Susan, stepping into the new role as if it was no more difficult than putting on a pair of shoes. Paul smiled.

Echo's sudden change was slightly more unsettling for his two companions. Topher looked as though he'd seen a ghost, and a look of amazement covered Boyd's face for a moment before he schooled his features once again. Then she slipped out, re-shelving Susan and allowing herself to shine through once again. _Got her, repeat engagement, had her filed away._ Topher's shock turned to awe as Echo turned away, ready to be outside again. Paul merely gave Topher an 'I told you so' look before turning to follow his Active out. Once in the elevator, he looked down at her, pride and love shining in his eyes for her alone to see.

He waited impatiently while she was in wardrobe, hating the minutes they were apart. But she was quick to shower and dress, just as anxious to be with Paul again as he was to be with her. When she stepped out in the high heels and designer dress, she broke out into a smile at the look on Paul's face. He was floored, she could tell. He held a hand out for her, which she took gratefully. He pulled her close for just a second, forgetting where they were. _You look gorgeous._ She flushed at the compliment. After the days of hell she'd experienced post leaving Washington, and her last week in solitary, she wasn't sure she'd ever look good enough for him again. The heat in his eyes now did wonders in erasing the experience of the last week.

As happy as she would have been to stay there, in his arms, they had things to do. _We should go._

Being reminded of their job didn't upset Paul the way she thought it would. Instead of breaking contact, he once again moved his hand to the small of her back and led her toward the garage. They were silent until they'd hit the highway, but they're eyes never left each other's. For Echo, it had been days since she'd been allowed to look at him, for Paul, he was just happy to see her not writhing in pain.

Paul's voice was quiet when he finally broke the silence, knowing the driver would hear if they spoke too loud. _Watching you in that cell, in pain, I thought about this part. I knew we'd come to the end of the torture at some point, and we'd be back in the field doing our thing. And I thought, 'that's when we'll run'. _He didn't hide the slight trace of hope from his eyes, even knowing what her answer would be. They'd come back for a reason, leaving now would have made all the pain she'd suffered for the last few days pointless. And what would they do in a week, in a month, when the headaches returned. He knew from the look in her eyes, she'd thought the same thing.

_And you thought, 'that's stupid. We'd end up in the same place, except worse, because it'd be the Attic.' _She could follow his train of thought well, she'd gone down it several times herself. She knew she had a job to do, but there had been times in the last few days when it had been hard to remember. When the pain in her head had reached a point where her vision had blurred, the only thing she'd been able to remember was Paul, because if she hadn't focused on him, she would have blown her cover.

His next words were unneeded, he'd said it often enough in Texas. _I don't like this. I don't like being your pimp._ He hated delivering her to low life scum who thought they had the right to buy a person merely because they had enough money too. He didn't want to imagine her with other men, he wanted her to be his, only. No more clients, no more Johns, no more engagements.

The look in her eyes told him she agreed. _I don't like it either._ But this was the job, and they both knew it. Besides as far as her contractors went, this one wasn't so bad. She tried to reassure Paul but gave up when he rolled his eyes, a look of disgust on his face, not for her, but for the necessity of going through with this and pretending it was all okay. She gave in to him then. _Okay, he's not my type. But he's Susan's. And that's who I'll be when I'm with him._ She reminded him that Echo would not be the one with Frank, Susan would be. She knew he still had trouble sometimes telling the difference. But as she spoke, she shifted, allowing Susan to come to the front once more.

He recognized it, when it happened; he saw Echo melt away and Susan take the reins. Echo didn't like this anymore than he did, but for now, this was how the play went. He nodded to himself, understanding that the conversation with Echo was over. As Susan vowed to leave her husband, he spoke, _You're doing the right thing._ But he wasn't entirely sure who he was addressing, Susan for leaving, Echo for returning, or himself for staying.

They pulled up in front of the house and Echo stepped out of the van. Before she walked away, she turned back to Paul. He hadn't seen the shift, as her back had been to him, but he immediately recognized Echo. _I'll be back soon, just relax. If I don't screw this up, maybe I'll be able to stay with the others. I'm willing to do almost anything to avoid returning to that room. _Paul nodded, both agreeing with her words and giving her permission to go. He watched the shift this time, then bid farewell to Susan as she closed the van door.

Paul sat staring at the monitors, wondering how he could pass the time without imagining everything that was going on in that house. But he didn't have long to wait. Not five minutes had passed before he heard her blood curdling scream. He was out of the van, gun drawn, before the reverberation had died away. He raced up the walk and yanked the door open. His keen eye took in the rose petals but dismissed them as his head swiveled to the left. He immediately recognized the form for what it was, a body. With a single glance, he noticed the lack of blood, the coloring of the flesh, the lack of smell; his mind catalogued the clues. But he ignored them, instead he swept the room, first making sure there was no immediate danger to Echo. Then he turned to the girl in question. She was in hysterics, sitting against the wall. Tears were running down her face and her breath was coming in short gasps. This wasn't Echo then, but Susan.

He walked over to her and kneeled in front of her. _Echo? _He got no response, so he repeated himself. He tried for several minutes to pull Echo to the front, but Susan's hysterics appeared to be impenetrable. Until she calmed down, or Echo was able to overpower her from within, she'd be of no use. Reluctantly, he stood and went to contact Boyd, knowing that whatever had happened here, had been a set up.

He hovered in the foyer listening to Susan try to calm herself as he waited for Boyd. When the other man arrived, Paul ushered him into the dining room, hoping he'd be able to calm Susan enough for Echo to return. But Boyd seemed at a loss on how to help her. He turned a questioning glance to Paul. _She was hysterical when I found her._ He did his best to keep the worry from his own voice. Both men knew there was nothing they could do for her until she'd calmed down on her own. They turned their attentions to the body, hoping that would give Susan a chance to collect herself, though Paul couldn't help the occasional concerned glance.

Going over the details did not help to calm Paul. Everything present screamed set up. Once again he had to fight down the desire to grab Echo and run. Her voice helped to steady him though, when she spoke, even if her words offered no reassurance. _This message is for me, for Echo._

Paul stepped forward, his body tense, his brow furrowed. _What message?_ Echo handed him the card, her mind a million miles away, in a sewer with a raving lunatic. _For my Number One._ Both men looked at her in confusion. So she explained, in simple words. Alpha was back. The three of them quickly returned to the van, they needed to get back inside the House and figure out what his game was this time, fast.

Upon their return, Adelle was quite insistent that Echo return to her cell, despite both Paul's and Boyd's objections. But she went without complaint. And with her acceptance, they too stopped. Right now, the priority was stopping Alpha at whatever game he was up to. Her freedom could wait. And secretly Paul let out a sigh of relief. As long as she was in solitary, she was relatively safe, and he could breathe just a little easier.

With Echo safely ensconced in the confinement, Boyd and Paul turned their attention to tracking down Alpha. When it came time to track down Joel Mynor, Paul had to swallow his discomfort as he watched Rebecca cling to the media tycoon. But he defended his actions when Adelle tried to rebuke them. As he stood, once again watching her pace in her cell, he allowed his mind to think on her again. _I can't believe I made her come back for this. _He should have taken her hand and run. Boyd's words of reassurance did not help his conscience. And then his eyes strayed to the camera in Adelle's elevator, and all thoughts of running fled, as he moved to do his job. He made his way to Topher's office, to Joel Myner. He wouldn't let Echo lose another one of her clients, he couldn't handle seeing her in hysterics again.

He pulled open the door to the imprint room, confused for a moment. Then Alpha spoke, _Bait, meet Switch._ It made sense then, but before he could do anything, he felt the pinch at his neck. As he staggered further into the room, he just hoped that whatever Alpha did to him, Boyd wouldn't let Echo see it. Because what would she do when the one in hysterics was supposed to be the one in control.

When he came to, his immediate reaction was to struggle. But Alpha had thought ahead and he was secure. The electrodes attached to his head had his heart racing fast. He had no idea what the psychopath was planning. He listened as the other man made jokes, but Paul ignored them, all he wanted to know was what he was doing.

_What every great philosopher since time immemorial has attempted to do. To answer the question, "What is this thing called love, this funny thing called love…"_ Paul was not reassured by his rant, not in the least. Alpha circled the chair continuing to wax on about his project. Paul merely restated his confusion. So Alpha explained, _Those others, our feelings for them, they were imprinted, manufactured. But what she feels for you, it's different. _Paul could detect the note of rage in Alpha's voice. He was pissed. He had thought kidnapping Echo and downloading her, making her like him, would make her love him, but he had been wrong. Now he was looking at Paul with nothing but hate, and the restrained man knew why. Because what Echo could never feel for Alpha, she felt for Paul.

But Paul knew no good could come of that information, so he played dumb, hoping to buy the others time and protect Echo. _What are you talking about?_ Which is when Alpha pulled out the pictures, of them in their rented apartment in Texas, the love was clear in their postures. As he flipped through shot after shot, he became more agitated.

_She has feelings for you._ Alpha moved to the next photo, them wrestling. Another, Echo staring off camera, to where Paul knew he was standing. _She shouldn't have those, not any that weren't put there. How did you do it?_

Paul continued to deny what he knew was true. _I'm her handler, those feeling were put there._ He was afraid what Alpha might do to Echo if he thought she had chosen another over him.

But Alpha rejected his claim. _That's something else. Could be love._

Desperate, Paul tried once more. _It's not._ He shook his head to emphasize it, but he couldn't stop his own emotions from leaking into his words.

Again, Alpha turned to waxing philosophy, but abandoned it quickly to accuse Paul. And even though Paul knew the emotions were clear as day in those photographs, and in his voice, he continued his denial. _There was nothing to see._

And then Alpha had him. _That's how I know that I am not wrong. For months you shared the same room, you never slept with her. You could have, but you didn't. If that's not love…_His sentence petered off.

He was right. Paul knew it. He did love Echo, and he knew she loved him. But he refused to force himself on her, and it didn't matter how many times she reassured him that she wanted it, he wouldn't allow himself to go there until he was sure. He did not want to be just another man who used her. He wanted her, all of her, not just a piece, as Alpha had said. He didn't want the perfect experience, the perfect woman that she could be with an imprint. He wanted the one she truly was as Echo. He'd promised himself that they would figure out a way to get there when this was over, but he'd drawn a line until then. Now it seemed as though that line would be their undoing. And when the first wave of pain came, he held as tight to his mind's image of her as possible.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the House was in chaos. Echo led Topher, Boyd, DeWitt, and Joel Mynor into the bedchamber. They quickly figured out what had happened and then Echo turned to Joel. _How did you get away?_

His words stopped her heart. _He wasn't after me. It was Ballard._ For a second, Echo couldn't think straight. All she could see was Paul, propped up at a table, his throat slit.

She tried to remain focused, _What?_ She listened as Joel Mynor told her what was certainly her greatest fear realized. Alpha was killing the people she loved, and now he had Paul. She turned to Boyd for answers, for help, for anything. He saw the pain in her eyes, the worry. Though he didn't want to do it, he told her to go. With only a plea for mercy, she was gone.

Echo couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd run so fast. Not when she was being hunted, not when she'd been trying to get away with the Senator, not when she'd been on the run from the law in Texas. But she wasn't in time. She opened the doors to the imprint room to find Paul's crumpled form lying on the floor. She felt as though someone had grabbed hold of her heart. And then Alpha spoke, _Your boyfriend's dead. Wanna snuggle? Too soon?_ Echo's eyes flicked from the man in the chair to the one on the floor, not sure which to go for.

But her heart pulled her to the floor. She touched Paul, hoping it would all just be in her head and that his body wasn't really lying on the floor in front of her. _You killed him. _As the truth sank in, she looked up _He's dead. _

_Brain dead, _Alpha corrected, as if this made all the difference.

But Echo barely heard him over the sound of her heart breaking. He had been hers, the one person who cared for her, not because she was a Doll, but because she was her. He had joined the House to protect her, he had flown to Texas to find her, and he had come back to help her. Instead, he had died for her. She couldn't help him anymore, but she was sure as hell going to get vengeance for him.

She advanced on Alpha, grabbing him and throwing him from the room. She ignored him as he screamed, offering her own stabbing words in return. She tried to drown out his words about Paul's reluctance to get physical with her. It didn't matter what Alpha said, Paul had explained the truth to her. And she knew he was just trying to get under her skin. When he leaned down in front of her, she took her opportunity to lunge forward, throwing them both out the window. The wrestling continued but Echo's anger allowed her to gain the upper hand. As Alpha continued to rant about love, she reached for a rock from the koi ponds. She raised it over her head and was about to bring it down, when _his_ voice stopped her.

_Echo…do you trust me? _It hit her like a ton of bricks, what Alpha must have done. The wind knocked out of her, he continued before she could think to do anything. _I'm sorry. I thought we had more time._ Echo couldn't help the raw pain in her voice as she voiced what Alpha had done. It was almost worse than losing him, having his voice come from the man who killed him. _Do you trust me?_ He repeated the question again and what was left of Echo's heart shattered. In that moment, she knew. It didn't matter what Alpha did, she'd never be able to destroy him now. She choked out her answer, almost against her will. Paul knew how much she trusted him; she had proven it when she called him from Texas, unsure of anything but her own name. _Then end mine…please. _His pleas didn't work, she was strong, but she'd never be strong enough for that. When Alpha pushed her off, she let him stand. She couldn't think, couldn't process. When he had disappeared, she painfully gained her feet. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and die, and if she was going to do that, she would do it in Paul's arms.

And that was how Topher and Boyd found her. The tears were still streaming down her face. The sobs were still stealing her breath. It still felt as though someone had reached in to her chest and ripped her heart out. And she sat there cradling the still form of the one man who had only ever known and cared for _her._ It took several hours of convincing on Topher's part to make her let go of his body. And it wasn't until he told her there was still a chance for Paul. He didn't want to give Echo false hope, but he couldn't stand the hollow look in her eyes. Even when she had been a Doll, they'd never been that empty._ Echo, as long as he's breathing, as long as his heart is beating, he's not dead. We work wonders with the brain everyday in this very room. Don't give up on him just yet._

Echo had slowly let him go then, releasing him to Topher's care. _Please, Topher, I can't…I don't… I need him._ She didn't know how to articulate it to him but he nodded, as if he understood. She watched from the floor as Topher directed two of the security team who hadn't been beaten unconscious by the renegade dolls to pick him up and followed them downstairs to the infirmary. Echo stayed where she was, she wasn't sure she had the strength to stand.

Boyd approached, squatting in front of her. _Are you alright?_

She knew what he meant, but that's not the answer she gave. _No, I'm not._ He called her name, trying to get her to focus. She met his eyes_, Promise me something Boyd? _He nodded, telling her he would. _Promise me that I'll wake up and this will all be gone. Promise me one day I won't remember any of this._

He extended a hand to her, pulling her up as he stood. _I can't. You'll never forget this, Echo, and I'm sorry. Things like this, they change you, become a part of who you are. Everything that's in your head, you should know that already. _

_I do, _she nodded, tears still flowing. _I just wish I didn't. I never understood what would bring a person here, to this place, to willingly erase themselves. I've hated Caroline since the beginning because she did this to us. But if this is what she was feeling, if this is why, I can't say that I really blame her. If I thought it would work, I'd climb in that chair right now._

Boyd didn't need to tell her it wouldn't. He led her down the stairs to the showers, so that she could wash off the blood. He waited for her, handing her clean clothes, ready to catch her should her knees give way. He left her in the infirmary. He watched from outside as she put aside her own pain to give Mr. Mynor what he needed. She truly was remarkable. But he saw the minute the internet mogul's back was turned how she changed. Her eyes unfocused, and it appeared as though she was unsteady on her feet. He recognized it from when she had become Susan before Alpha had made his return. Echo had taken the momentary reprieve, letting Rebecca have control for Mynor's sake, but she was back now. She walked around the bed and stood there, holding Paul's hand, as if she had no intention of leaving. And Boyd was sure she didn't.

He turned away to give her privacy and noticed DeWitt watching as well. He walked over to her. _I have half a mind to put her in the chair. I'm sure Topher can come up with away to remove everything, now that he knows it's there._

_It won't work. It might drive it down for a day, maybe two, but it'll come back eventually._

_Then maybe she belongs in the Attic. If she can't be imprinted, she's of no use to us._ Adelle made no effort to hide her disdain.

_Who said she can't be imprinted? She just can't be wiped. Besides from what I hear of the Attic, it's your worst fear, your nightmare; and you're forced to live it over and over, like you're stuck in a loop._

DeWitt threw him a questioning glance, surprised by what he knew_. Yes, that is what they say. _

He nodded his head toward where Echo now sat, holding Paul's hand, crying once again. _Don't you think maybe she's already living it?_

Adelle thought of all the problems that Echo had caused. _Not yet, but when I remove her from Mr. Ballard's side, then we'll see._

Boyd knew he couldn't stop her, if Adelle DeWitt set her mind to something, she achieved it. _Fine, but give her tonight?_

_Beg pardon? _It almost sounded as if Boyd had given her an order.

_You heard me. You've had her locked alone in a room for a week, watching as she writhed in pain. The girl just lost someone who clearly means a lot to her. Give her one night off before you start the torture again. _He could see she was about to refuse. _Now you know the truth, she's a person, she remembers everything, and she's just had her handler murdered. Are you going to prove you're as cruel as everyone thinks you are? _When she continued to stare at him, he went on. _You used to like her._

_Yes, that was before she became the proverbial thorn in my side. _The thing was, Adelle couldn't help but notice that Echo's shoulders were not as straight as they had been when she'd come to Adelle's rescue earlier. Losing Mr. Ballard had clearly broken the young woman. Maybe that would crush the rebellion out of her. Besides, Echo was unique, a diamond in the rough, unlike any of her other Actives. She couldn't bear to lose her just yet. And as long as Adelle had Paul, Echo would follow orders._ Fine, she can have tonight. But tomorrow, this house gets back to normal. And she will do as directed, go out on whatever engagements I assign, and act the part of the Doll she'd supposed to be. _She looked up at Boyd, making sure he understood, _Or she will be sent to the Attic._


End file.
